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Tories need to better vet its leaders, local Conservatives say in wake of sexual misconduct allegations

Former Progressive Conservative Party leader chats with Niagara conservatives during a meeting in October. Seated beside him in former PC Party president, and former St. Catharines MP, Rick Dykstra. Brown posted this photo to Twitter in October. Both men recently resigned over allegations of sexual misconduct.

There has to be a “reckoning” within conservative political circles after sexual assault allegations against former Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario president Rick Dykstra, says St. Catharines city Coun. Matt Siscoe.

“I know what it’s like to be a provincial candidate.

“They turn over every stone, they look through all your social media, they dig up everything before you can run,” said Siscoe, who ran as a PC candidate for the St. Catharines riding in the 2014 provincial election.

“Look at what just happened with Mike Strange in Niagara Falls. They have this intense vetting process for candidates, but apparently not for the top leadership positions in the party.

“There needs to be a reckoning,” Siscoe said.

Dykstra, formerly a Conservative MP for St. Catharines in the government of Stephen Harper, resigned from the provincial party executive Sunday night shortly before a Maclean’s magazine piece detailed sexual assault allegations against him.

The magazine reported the account of a woman who said that in 2014 Dykstra sexually assaulted her in his Ottawa apartment.

The report says after an evening of drinking, Dykstra brought the woman to his apartment, cornered her in the bedroom and made her perform oral sex.

The magazine also reported that the federal Conservative party was aware of the allegations but, in a contentious vote by the party executive that spilt along gender lines, Dykstra was permitted to stand as a candidate for the 2015 federal election.

Dykstra did not respond to an interview request from The Standard.

Dykstra’s lawyers told The Canadian Press he “categorically denies” the accusations.

His resignation followed that of party leader Patrick Brown, who stepped down after allegations of sexual harassment were reported by CTV News last week.

Siscoe said the party needs to do a better job of examining the past of its leadership. At minimum, he said, the party should apply the same rigorous vetting it applies to candidates.

Not all candidates survive the vetting process, said Siscoe, pointing to the recent case of Niagara Falls city Coun. Mike Strange.

Strange wanted to stand as a possible PC candidate for Niagara Falls but was rejected by the party executive, including Dykstra, because of photos on the former Olympic boxer’s Facebook page from a Halloween party where he is dressed in blackface.

Niagara Falls regional Coun. Selina Volpatti said Monday that she hopes the wave of misconduct allegations will have a long-term impact on Canadian political culture that fosters more respect for women.

“My hope is that women are treated with more respect and treated for what they are — intelligent politicial beings,” she said. “Sure I have experienced it. I have been in situations where if I say something, no one pays any attention but if a man says the same thing it is treated as gospel truth.”

However, Volpatti also said she is concerned the pendulum has swung so far that people can be ruined by accusations alone.

“This is not to say I don’t believe the women in this cases, or that allegations shouldn’t be treated seriously. But I worry that we aren’t going to land in a place that is the best for everyone,” she said.

Siscoe said he understands Volpatti’s concerns, but points out that “there is a difference between the court of public opinion and the court of law.”

“And politics is all about the court of public opinion. Everyone has the right to the due process of law, but the fact is when you have lost the moral authority to lead, you have lost the moral authority to lead.”

The PC party is grappling with who its next leader will be. Although MPP Vic Fedeli has been named the interim leader, a leadership race will determine who heads the party going into this year’s election.

Grimsby regional Coun. Tony Quirk told The Standard that “the party itself is in a state of turmoil.”

“I’m obviously disappointed if these allegations are proven to be true. The party has to take a long hard look at how we vet all our candidates for all roles on a go-forward basis,” Quirk said Monday.

“As Conservatives, we have to remember we are all in the same family. Leadership campaigns can get divisive. I hope everybody takes a step back and we don’t do what we normally do — which is eat our young.”